Telephone-call register.



N0. 645,9!7; Patented Mar. 20, I900.

W. GRAY,

TELEPHONE CALL REGISTER.

(Application filed Oct. 12, 1898.) I (No Model.) I 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM GRAY, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE GRAY TELEPHONEPAY STATION COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

TELEPHONE-CALL. REGISTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 645,917, dated March20,1900.

Application filed October 12, 1898. Serial No. 698,357. (No model.)

of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inTelephoneCall Registers, of which the following is a full,

clear, and exact description, whereby an y one skilled in the art canmake and use the same.

My invention relates to the class of telephones provided with means forindicating each use made of the apparatus; and the object of myinvention is to provideadevice of this class in which such use shall beindicated and recorded by simple means and in which such record may bedetermined at a glance.

To this end my invention consists in the device as a whole, in thecombination of parts, and in details and their combination, ashereinafter described, and more particular-y pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a view in front elevation of aset of telephone instruments embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a detailfront View, on enlarged scale, of the register-box. Fig. 3 is a detailedge view, on enlarged scale, in vertical section through theregister-box and showing the mechanism. Fig. i is a detail frontview,'on enlarged scale, of the register with the cover removed andshowing the mechanism. Fig. 5 is a detail view, on enlarged scale, insection through the lock and in edge view'of the reciprocating bolt.Fig. 6 is a detail front view of the back plate of the look, on enlargedscale, and

showing the lock mechanism. Fig. 7 is a detail View in front elevationon enlarged scale, showing a modified form of the invention. Fig. 8 is adetail view, in front elevation, of the same with the front plateremoved. Fig. 9 is a side view of the parts shown in Fig. 8, the casebeing broken away to show construction.

In the accompanying drawings the numeral 1 denotes the backboard, 2 thebattery-box, 3 the receiver, l the magneto-bells, 5 the coilbox, and 6the transmitter, of a set of telephone instruments of the kind in commonand ordinary use.

The numeral 7 denotes the back plate of a register-box 8, securedthereto in any desired manner and provided with means whereby the boxhas an intimate union with the transmitter-support-in the presentinstance the ooil-box so that any sound formed within 5 5 the registerbox may be readily transmitted therefrom over theline-wires. 1'

A gong 9 is secured within the register-box, and a primary registerlOand a main regis ter 11 are also secured within the register-box 6ointhe form shown to the front plate 12 thereof. These registers arepreferably of the rotary kind, as herein shown, a predetermined numbyof'step-by-step movements of the primary register being recorded on themain register. This arrangement of a primary and main register hasspecial advantages. The primary register 10, as described, moves with astepby-sl'ep movement, throwing into view at each step successivenumbers which serve as a visual signalto notify the operator that theuse of the instrument has been recorded. In

the present case fifteen such step movements of the primary register arerequired to change the number 011 the main register, and thisarrangement provides a registeringdevice with a large record capacity ascompared with its size and number of dials, foritis obvious that therecorded number of the main register must be multiplied by fifteen tofind the total num her of calls recorded. Afurther advantage resides inthe use of the pair of registers as combined andoperated by the key andlockbolt. It is to be noted that the lock-barrel and main register arealwaysin such position that the latter will be moved forward as soon asthe key ismovedto rotate the lock-barrel and the' key does not come intoengagement with the lock-bolt 20 until it has been moved nearly acomplete revolution. The bolt 20 is now engaged, operates the primaryregister, and is released to strike the gong a positive blow just as thekey finishes making its complete revolution. Thus the main register hasbeen moved forward during the movement of the key, so that the use ofthe instrument has been recorded on the main or record register beforethe primary register changes. The gong, however, is not sounded untilthe record has been made on both the main and pri-' I00 mary registers.This combination of key and lock-bolt also serves as a convenient meansof preventing a backward movement of the key, as the position of thedepression 21 is such that it can only be engaged during the forwardmovement of the key. It is evident that the above-described combinationof registers and operating means is such as to effectually prevent theillicit use of the instrument.

WVhile there are numerous advantages, as set out above, in combining thepair of registers, there is also this further advantage. A subscriberusing this sort of instrumentthat is, measured service-usu ally wisheswith the least possible trouble to himself to know how much theinstrument is used during the day. Now if a single register with arecord of five or six figures is displayed it would be very difficult toremember the record from time to time as the instrument is used. Byusing two registers, however, one having a record capacity of onlya fewnumbers, nsuallylarge enough for the calls of a single day, it is easyto remember the changes shown from, say, 1 to 15. As there are usually acertain number of calls allowed per year for a predetermined price, thisarrangement calls the attention of the subscriber to the number of callsmade and prevents too free a use of the instrument with the consequentincreased cost of .overcalls. Thus a subscriber is enabled after usingthis system a short time to know whether itis better, so far as cost tohim is concerned, to use this systen of measured service with arestricted number of calls ata reduced price or to take. a contract onsome other unlimited service. 1

A lock-case 13 is secured within the register-box and contains a barrel14E, adaptedto receive a key 15. A crank 16 'is secured to the barrel 14and has a crank-pin 17, adapted to engage the arm 18, secured to thecylinder of the register 11. Vithin the lock-case are arranged tumblersIf) and the lower end of the reciprocating bolt 20, the tumblers beingformed to register with the usual slots on the key 15. As the key isrotated, carrying with it the barrel and connected parts, it engages arecess 21 in the bolt, moving it lengthwise and causing a pawl 22, borneon the bolt, to engage a ratchet 23, secured to the cylinder of theprimary register 10. This bolt is mount ed on guide-pins 2%, and aspring 25 is employed to hold the bolt at one limit of its play. Ahammer-arm 26 is carried by the bolt and bears a hammer 27, located inproper position to strike the gong 9 as the bolt is thrown upward underthe recoil of the spring 25. The hammer-arm is somewhat springy and isso mounted upon the reciprocating bolt as to normally hold the hammerout of contact with the gong. As the bolt shoots forward under theimpulse of the spring and is brought to a sharp stop by the pins 24 thehammer is thrown forward, striking the gong a quick blow with arebounding stroke, leavingit free to vibrate.

In the modified form of the invention shown in Figs. 7, 8, and 0 theapparatus is constructed so that the key may be inserted from the frontof the box. In this construction a starwheel 28 is secured to the barrell t, the arms being arranged to engage with the arms of a star-wheel 29,located on the cylinder of the register 11, the mechanism being the sameas that hereinbefore described.

In the operation of the device the key is inserted in the barrel and acomplete rotation given thereto. In this rotation the key engages theslots 21, carrying the bolt 20 down ward, the engagement of the pawl 22with the ratchet 23 rotating the primary register 10 forward one step.As soon as the key has been rotated to a certain extent it disengagesfrom the slot in the bolt, which quickly draws backward under theimpulse of the spring 25, causing the hammer 27 to sound the gong, thusindicating to the central ofiice that the register has been operated. Inthis rotation of the barrel by the key the cylinder of the main register11 has also been rotated, the construction being such that when acertain number of predetermined step-by-step movem cnts of the primaryregister have been made a numeral denoting such result will be thrownforward on the main register.

In the present case the main register 11 is so constructed that a singlerevolution of the register-operating arbor 18 moves the units Wheel ofthe register one-fifteenth of a stepthat is, the register-operatingarbor 18 will have to be turned through one hundred and fifty completerevolutions to cause a complete revolution of the units-dial of the mainregister. Therefore it is necessary to turn the arbor through fifteencomplete revolutions to change the character displayed on the unitsdialof the main register.

I claim as my invention I 1. In a telephone-call register, incombination, a main register, a primary register, a registeroperatingdevice, and connections between said device and the registers forchanging the characters on the primary register at each operation andthose of the main register at a succeeding operation of the register-operating device.

2. In a telephone-call register, in combination, a main register and aprimary register, a sound-signal, a register-operating device, andconnections between the register-operatin g device and registers forchanging the characters displayed on the primary register at eachoperation and for sounding the signal, and for changing the charactersdisplayed on the main register at a succeeding operation of theregister-operating device.

3. In a telephone-call register, in combination, a main register and aprimary register, a rotary registeroperating device directly connectedwith the main register and a reciprocating bolt connecting theregister-operating device and the primary register for operating thelatter upon a complete revolution of the operating device.

4:. In a telephone-call register, in combination, a main register and aprimary register, a signal-sounding device, a rotary registeroperatingdevice connected directly with the arbor of the main register and areciprocating bolt connecting the register-operating device and theprimary register for operating the latter, and for sounding the signalafter the arbor of the main register has been moved a completerevolution.

5. In a telephone-call register, in combination, a main register and aprimary register, a key-operated rotary register-operating device havingan arm adapted to engage an arm on the cylinder of the main register,and a reciprocating bolt connected with the primary register andoperated through the medium of the key which rotates the barrel of theregister-operatingdevice.

6. In a telephone-call register, in combination, a pair of registers, alock having a rotary barrel, tumblers mounted in operative relation tosaid barrel, a reciprocating bolt, and a key controlled by said tumblersand adapted to operate the bolt and move one of said registers duringthe entire movement and the other during a partial movement of the key.

7. In a telephone-call register, in combination, a main register, and aprimary register, a lock having a rotary barrel, rotary connectionsbetween said barrel and one of said registers, a reciprocating boltadapted to operate the other register, tumblers mounted in operativerelation to the lock-barrel, and a key controlled by said tumblers andadapted to operate the bolt upon the complete rotation of the key.

8. In a telephone-call register, in combination a main register and aprimary register, a gong, a lock having a rotary barrel, interengagingconnections between said barrel and one of said registers for operatingthe latter, a sliding bolt adapted to operate the other register andcarrying a hammer adapted to strike the gong with a rebounding blow,tumblers operatively connected with the barrel of the lock and a keycontrolled by said tumblers and adapted to engage and move the bolt inone direction.

9. In a telephone-call register, in combination, a lock having a rotarybarrel, a main register having its cylinder operatively connected withsaid barrel, tumblersoperatively connected with the look, a primaryregister, a reciprocating bolt for operating the primary register and akey controlled by said tumblers and adapted for engaging, moving andreleasing actions with respect to the bolt.

WILLIAM GRAY.

\Vitnesses:

ERMA P. OoFFRIN, WILLIAM H. BARKER.

